My family can’t keep their hands off these easy peanut butter cookies. This peanut butter cookie recipe is not your traditional crunchy peanut butter cookie, but there really isn’t a better recipe out there. Trust me, we’ve tried them all.

homemade peanut butter cookies

What peanut butter cookie recipe is the best?

While I do love making homemade peanut butter cookies with just 3 ingredients, they are just not as soft and chewy as these. I love 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies, but I am just not as satisfied.

These cookies go right in line with my love for creamy peanut butter. Peanut butter is my to-go-to snack anytime I am hungry.

Whether it’s by the spoonful, with pretzels, on a sandwich or paired with some Nutella, I really could eat peanut butter in any way, shape or form. Because I have a sweet tooth, of course, cookies are at the top of my favorite foods. This makes soft peanut butter cookies an obvious hit.

peanut butter cookie recipe

Should I use crunchy or creamy peanut butter to make peanut butter cookies?

While I love creamy peanut butter for cookies typically, there are those moments – like with my morning breakfast toast with bananas – that I reach for the crunchy peanut butter.

We are a house divided on creamy and crunchy peanut butter. While my son, Aiden and I am more in the middle and could eat either, my husband and daughter Jersey love crunchy, and my other 3 kids, Jojo, Cannon, and Madden, will only eat creamy. If I accidentally pack them crunchy, the sandwich will still be in their lunchbox when they get home – making you wonder just what they ate for lunch.

We also have very strong opinions on whether a soft or crunchy peanut butter cookies are the best.

I tend to lean towards chewy, soft cookies. The best cookie recipe I’ve ever had are my Best Ever Monster Cookies. But most classic peanut butter cookie recipes I’ve had are too crunchy, leaving a crumbly mess. So, I have been on a mission the best peanut butter cookies recipe, and finally… finally… I found it.

peanut butter cookies with milk

Everyone except for Aiden has the opinion that peanut butter cookies are best when soft and chewy. Aiden loves a good crunchy cookie you can dip in milk. Although he won’t decline these Best Ever Soft Peanut Butter Cookies.

What could you add to peanut butter cookies?

The first time I made these cookies, I stuffed them with Rolo candies. Drooling as I think about those Rolo Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies, they were to die for. The second time made them, I left them plain ole’ Jane – although the word plain seems a little harsh for these cookies as they are far from it.

I guess I mean that they are so dang good that you don’t need any fanfare like chocolate chips, Rolos or M&M’s. The cookie is perfect just the way it is. These cookies are so good it will be hard to resist eating them right off the beaters.

Why do peanut butter cookies have fork marks?

When peanut butter is added to batter, it makes it more dense. When you put fork marks in the dough, you make it easier for the cookie to bake evenly. This will help keep them soft, so don’t forget this step.

How long do cookies last?

These keep well for a couple of days in an airtight container at room temperature.

If desired, freeze the cookies in an airtight freezer bag. They can last for 1-2 months.

Who doesn’t love dipping a peanut butter cookies in milk?

How do you make Peanut Butter Cookies?

Preheat the oven to 350 F, and while it’s heating, line 2 baking pans with parchment paper, if desired.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together peanut butter, butter, sugar and brown sugar until smooth & creamy – best if using a stand mixer or hand mixer.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix until well combined.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

Stir in the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until well combined.

Form the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in white granulated sugar if you desire, and place on to baking sheet.

Using a fork, press down on each ball of dough to flatten and create a criss-cross pattern.

Bake for 8-9 minutes. Do not over bake.

Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

I’m sorry yours turned out dry! You may need to shorten the cooking time. They do look uncooked when they are finished but should set as they cool. This does confuse some people and they end up overbaking the cookies which will result in dry cookies.

I’d like to know how good they will be if I don’t flatten with a fork and put a chocolate kiss on top. I’m trying it tonight. The recipe is excellent and I love that it calls for butter instead of Crisco. They’re still just as light and fluffy.

Hi Ellen! We have done something similar and it’s amazing! If you bake the cookie with the kiss on top, it will lose its shape. We recommend baking the cookie per the directions and place the kiss on top of the hot cookies immediately after removing them from the oven. This way they are still soft enough that the kiss stays put but so that it doesn’t melt too much so it keeps the shape. Let us know how they turn out!

I made these the night before Last and took them to work as a snack for me and the guys and they LOVED them! Said they were the best they have ever tried! I added little peanut butter chips at the end though!

Mine were not necessarily dry, but they did fall apart. I’m thinking we’ll need to eat them with a spoon. The taste is good though. I also followed the recipe to a T and the butter was very soft. Not sure what could have happened.

Made these to give my husband for Valentine’s Day tomorrow but I’m a little worried they won’t survive that long. Holy cow, these are good!

The Tbsp of vanilla gave me pause but I’m glad I decided to make it as written because they’re fantastic. So easy to make. Looked like the dough might be sticky but rolled up great with no issues at all.

I keep reading that cookies are coming out dry and I was just thinking about the peanut butter I use. It’s Teddy’s smooth. All that’s in it is peanuts and salt, and it’s the kind that needs the natural oils stirred in before using. My point is this, maybe this type of peanut butter was used to test recipe because it’s more wet than other brands.mine came out delicious .

I’m with you Leah. I’ve been baking cookies for over 40 years and I always use the peanut butter that has the oil separated on the top. Blend well to mix it in before using it, but it’s always make excellent cookies.

Read previous comments and to let you know, I was so excited for tbsp of vanilla! Mmmmmm love vanilla! My only problem is ran out of parchment paper. Greased the sheet well with butter but worried because of having to squish down. In oven now. Fingers crossed bottoms won’t burn! Thanks for recipe, my husband will only eat them if they’re soft. Hope this is our new go to recipe:)

These taste almost like the peanut butter in a Reese’s peanut butter cup. They are delicious!! I made exactly as directed but found that the first batch was over way cooked. I made the same number of cookies so I think I made the same size as directed…had to decrease the cooking time almost in half. I will make this recipe from now on!!!

First off I’m not a HUGE peanut butter fan, mainly because i ate so much of it as a child. I do however get a craving for peanut butter cookies every once in awhile. I chose this recipe because it was easy and looked delicious. The only thing I did was after it was all mixed i added a half of a bag of heath toffee pieces to the batter and stirred. I did bake them for 10 min and they came out PERFECT. Soft, delicious with a bit of a crunch every now and then. Kudo’s to whoever came up with this recipe.

I’ve done this cookies before and I lost the recipe, today I found it on your blog, they are just delicious, I might add some chocolate cover to one side. Thank you!! Oh I forgot, use Mexican vanilla, is the best…

Followed the recipe except I used egg replacer (due to egg allergy). Dough *looked* super crumbly, but once I scooped it up, the dough formed nicely into balls and it was just fine. Cookies turned out great and no one could tell I used egg replacer. I will definitely be making these again!

This is the first time I’ve ever left feedback on a recipe, but I just had to say thank you so so much!! These are so rich and buttery, they came out a gorgeous golden brown (which never happens for me!) and I haven’t been able to keep my hands off them.

Question: will these cookies remain soft after a week? If not, how long will they remain soft? And is there a trick I do to keep them soft?
Thank you!
(Really trying to find a peanut butter cookie recipie! Might use yours!)

If you use all white sugar cookies will be crunchy. That’s where the brownie sugar comes in. I’ve used equal amounts of sugars in my key lime thumbprint cookies & they weren’t as dry/crumbly as using all white sugar! Get to know ingredients & their purpose & have fun testing. It’s not hard to find ‘testers’!!! Google or find info in an old Betty Crocker cookbook. Happy baking!!!

If you place a slice of bread I use just cheap white bread and place just one slice in the bottom of your cookie jar and then put your cookies in they will stay super soft for several days if you don’t have a cookie jar any container with a lid well do hope this helps
Katt Mattox

To keep your cookies soft longer or even to soften some overcooked ones, place cookies in a sealed container with a couple slices of bread. This will keep the cookies nice and fresh to enjoy longer!! 🙂

I chilled the batter in the fridge and just made about half of it. The cookies are rather dry and crumbly. Assuming this is due to not totally softened butter, is there anything I can do to improve the rest of the batter?

I tried making these tonight but like all of the other recipes I’ve tried, the dough was dry and crumbly. I don’t usually use butter when baking, I use coconut oil instead as a healthier option. I use coconut oil in all of my cookie recipes and never had an issue. Why did it turn out dry and crumbly?

My mix looked dry and crumbly, and it might have to do with the moisture content in the peanut butter. My eggs were on the small side, so that could also be a factor. But I added coconut oil, hoping they would bind together with that, instead of using another egg.

easy clean up, I just mix the baking soda in the measuring cup for the flour.
My batter came out super creamy and whipped the 2nd time I made it.
My husband loves how they are not overly sweet.
Such a good recipe! Kinda rustic. Just perfect. Love it.

Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever, Made these exactly as directed twice now. LOVE THEM!!! Perfect amount of vanilla, I was short on time waiting for the butter to soften so I just put in microwave for about 15-20 secs and soften with fork before creaming together. Thanks for a wonderful recipe that will be made often 🙂

made this again. like the 4th time.
First time I think was messed up.
2nd and 3rd time super good and whipped.
I changed nothing every time I made it and the 4th time it was greasy-like clumpy.
Not whipped.
Not sure what the process does to this batter but its strange how sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

Made these cookies for a friend at my office today! She left the office with only have the batch because everybody had seconds! My family likes them to. Can’t wait to make again and have already shared on my blog! Thank you!

So funny…with all the vanilla talk…I went to add the vanilla and found we were OUT!! I added a couple teaspoons of almond extract in its place (less only because I’m not a big fan of almond flavor). Care to guess how they turned out? DELICIOUS!!! Can’t imagine they could get better, although I will happily test that theory once I get more vanilla!

My son will not eat peanut butter cookies usually but. Loves these they remind him of Reese’s peanut butter cups and he is now making them at his house so he can take a patch to work to share with the officers on the force lol huge hit at my house

I followed the directions exactly and they came out beautifully. I did put a twist on them and made them ‘thumbprint’ cookies. I used strawberry, raspberry, and a peach/pear jam to add an extra bit of yummy-ness.
These truly are the best ever, soft cookies…take it from me, I don’t even like p.b. cookies and I thought they were great. 🙂

Do I need to refrigerate the cookie dough before I roll into ball/bake? I know I am suppose to do this with chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies, but I’ve never made peanut butter cookies before. Am making up a batch right now, I’m very excited to try it!
Thanks!

Just made these this morning to take some to a friend in a nursing home.
I sampled one and it is amazing. I made a batch and a half recipe. I will try to share the rest(lol). I will definitely make again.
Thank you dear

I absolutely loved these! Reminded me of cookies I used to have when I was in grammar school; soft melt in your mouth cookies! Can this recipe be doubled? I only got about 23 cookies and mine were on the small side. Thank you so much!

I used this recipe and baked for 8 minutes. I was worried they weren’t cooked enough but they set up more as they cooled. They are the perfect soft chewy PB cookie and were delicious. I am replacing my old go-to recipe with this one!

I think those of us that are having trouble with dry cookies may be using a natural peanut butter instead of a Kraft/Jif brand. I didn’t have peanut butter so I made my own from blended peanuts and they turned out quite dry. Yes, my butter was soft!
After the first batch came out crumbly I added oil to the remaining batter and they turned out nicely.

I used mostly natural peanut butter and mine were crumbly as well. I was able to scoop them tightly into a ball and use a cookie press. They don’t hold together great but they taste amazing! Will try JIF or Skippy next time!

Yummy, it looks so yummy and I would like to taste them. I will definitely try to this at home.I am checking regularly this page because there is many good recipe available hope I see more. thankshttp://kitchentuts.com/

I made these last night because when I read the recipe and reviews, it sounded like somethings I had to try. These are the best fluffy and moist peanut butter cookies I have ever tasted. Great reviews at work. This will be the only recipe I will follow ever. I wanted to add some chocolate to it the next time but at work they said to leave it the way it is. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.

These were perfect. I used regular Jif because that is what I had lying around. They were not dry, not too sweet, and nicely peanut buttery. My daughter had been begging me to make peanut butter cookies all week – and I hadn’t made any in maybe 10 years. I tried this recipe because it seemed to have a lower than average ratio of sugar to other ingredients and we actually don’t enjoy overly sweet cookies. They were moist and wonderful. I brought them to Christmas dinner and they were the most popular dessert! Thank you so much for this recipe!

I started making this recipe before thanksgiving and I’ve now made so many batches, I lost count. My husband and daughter LOVE them. Our family and friends love them. They are so easy to make. I’ve frozen them and made them a month later and they are wonderful. Best recipe. Hands down. And the vanilla ratio is perfect. I have also made a variation where I add a small Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup or Hershey’s Kiss after they have baked. Big hit! 5 stars!

Haley – I haven’t tried with homemade peanut butter. If you do just make sure it isn’t overly dry. I haven’t made homemade but I do buy it from the store like that for sandwiches. If I were to try a recipe it would be this one: https://pinchofyum.com/5-minute-homemade-peanut-butter.

All I can say is wow these are the best peanut butter cookies I have ever made! Thank you so very much for this great recipe…The Taste just blows you away and I did a few little simple decorations on mine for a Valentine’s Day theme. I do want to say I had to adjust the time maybe it’s my oven but if I did them for 10 minutes each and they turned out great.

LOL My kids are making these right now and as I heard them talking about what to add next , I heard 1 TABLESPOON of vanilla. I quickly swooped in like the Master baker I am (not) and said 1 TABLESPOON??? I HAVE NEVER EVER EVER HEARD OF THAT!!!! They quickly assured me and I had to look at the recipe for myself and read the reviews……and sure enough It was entertaining to say the least! They are in the oven now and I cant wait to join the debate with my opinion!

My at work best friend is leaving and her favorite cookie is peanut butter. I decided to give this recipe a try this afternoon and I can say without a doubt that I will be winning the best co worker ever award after she gets these. I tried one and they taste so good! I love how soft they are and they have a perfect peanut butter flavor. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!

Some are saying that this happened because of the peanut butter used, the natural ones aren’t quite creamy enough. Also be sure to not over-bake them, they may look like they aren’t finished but they will set if you let them cool on the sheet. I hope they come out better for you next time!

Just made these and they are yummy. They are very soft, chewy and tasty. I would say that the reason some people ran into problems is that they used a natural peanut butter. USE JIFF. I actually prefer natural everything but I made these for people who don’t care about natural products. Also, don’t touch them when they come out of the oven. They will fall apart. Leave them alone and let them set. Thanks for the tasty recipe!

Normally I do not post on blogs but after trying these cookies I just had to. THEY ARE DELICIOUS! I wanted a new pb cookie recipe because I have been using a flourless recipe and agree they are not soft enough to my liking, But these are awesome! This is my final pb cookie recipe.. Thank you. And I was unsure about 1 Tbsp of vanilla but its perfect. 5 stars

This recipe seems to be very finicky, but the cookies came out heavenly! I thought, for sure, that they would be super dry and crumbly, because the dough was. It didn’t roll in my hands, it just fell apart. But I formed balls with my fingers, instead. And the crumbliness of the dough made for some neat and sort of “old school” looking edges!
I think the butter is the only thing you have to be careful with. Mine ended up all but melted, instead of soft, (thanks, Colorado, for the 100 degree days! Lol). I will be trying this again, and I won’t leave my butter sitting in the heat, or chicken out on that whole tablespoon of vanilla! (Never have been a fan of the taste of vanilla extract.) Will recommend to anyone I know that loves peanut butter. They won’t last long in my house!
Thanks for the recipe!

These are so good! I ran out of butter so I used margarine. And I used JIF peanut butter. (The batter is yummy too lol) I forgot to flatten my first batch so they were cute little balls, but still delicious! They weren’t hard and dry like most peanut butter cookies. Definitely a hit with my family!!

Hi. I used this recipe to bake for the very first time! I was confused about the soft butter part so i saw online to microwave the butter or leave it out to room temp. I left it out for a bit. After the cookies were done are they supposes to be soft? The edges were so i thought they should bake longer? Also after they were done the dough crumbled. When i used the fork i pressed the edges together but after the cookies fell apart. Also they tasted maybe to salty or something. Please let me know how i can fix them. Thanks.

Make sure you don’t use too much flour or the dough will be crumbly. I would double check what peanut butter you used, natural brands seem to not work with the recipe. They definitely should come out soft and chewy! Be sure not to over cook these. The peanut butter may make it look like it isn’t finished but they will set on the tray while cooling.

Left butter overnight to soften, used the peanut butter that separates oil and mixed it well first. I smushed them down with a fork and watch most of them break off with my gentle push. I followed the recipe exactly, measuring everything. Never flattened out and looked and felt like the dough that went in after the timed 8 minutes….cooked them longer, 5 min more per batch. Taste good, but they are dry from the mix.

It may be the peanut butter that you used. We only make it with Jif and it always comes out soft! They do need to be flattened with the fork before baking so they cook evenly. If you let them cool before removing from the tray they should set and not need the extra cooking, otherwise they can dry out. I’m glad you enjoyed the taste, hope this helps!

This is one of my best dessert friend I still remember I brought some packs of peanut butter cookies that I made to my offices for my colleagues, they were totally hooked! One of them even asked me to do more packs for him to give his friends I was more than happy with this!
– Natalie Ellis

Oh. My. Goodness. I know my way around a Peanut Butter cookie and these are the best I’ve ever had. The recipe makes a good amount of cookies. These babies stay soft and tender for over a week in a plastic zip bag. Well done!! (tried to leave 5-star rating, but system isn’t letting me mark stars).

Amazing cookies Made sure all my ingredients were room temp, only really mixed the first ingredients with my hand mixer. Then added the egg and vanilla. Then slowly mixed in the dry ingredients just until they were incorporated.
Thank you for the recipe ❤️

Just a suggestion to those who are ending up with crumbly dough…may be too much flour? If measured incorrectly it’s easy to get too much. I weighed my flour, used 3/4 c brown sugar and 1/4 cup white, made 30 cookies, and baked 8.5 minutes. They looked underbaked but set up more on baking sheet after cooling. Perfectly not crumbly dough and wonderful soft cookies. Thank you!

These are definitely the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever tasted! Everything came out perfect! Don’t forget to fluff up your flour before measuring though. I ate one out of the oven and it fell apart but let others cool 10 minutes and they’re not falling apart at all! I also used 3/4 c brown sugar and 1/4 c sugar like a reviewer had suggested. These are great! Thanks for posting this recipe!

I visited my friend’s house on the weekend, we had an intimate party, I ate the cake she made, I was really stunned, why it was so delicious, I was so surprised About my friend’s cooking skills, when I asked, she showed me your website. Great

The Tbsp of vanilla gave me pause but I’m glad I decided to make it as written because they’re fantastic. So easy to make. Looked like the dough might be sticky but rolled up great with no issues at all.

These are the BEST peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made. I used a tablespoon scoop and did not use a fork to cross. I baked and then added a chocolate kiss immediately after baking. So good I made another batch. I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you for sharing.

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe is great! To be honest, I’m not good at cooking but I like them, they give me joy and excitement every time I finish the dishes, which is a great thing. With your recipe, I just need to follow the instructions and the rest is simple. Thanks for sharing.

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe is awesome! It’s my family’s favorite food, it’s great to be able to prepare it at home for everyone to enjoy. Thanks for your detailed instructions, just follow the instructions and everything is easy. Best regards!

These cookies are delicious!!!!
I did add another egg, but followed everything to the exact measurement! I sprayed a cookie sheet with canola, rolled the dough in white sugar, did the whole cross cross and baked for exactly 8 mins

Yes, when you take them out they look way under cooked, but if you peek underneath they’re a beautiful golden brown. They set in a few mins.
Perfect! Thank you!

I’m so sorry to hear that! We have heard this before, and these were some of the solutions. Make sure to cook no longer than 9 minutes. 8 should be enough! They will look like they aren’t ready but they will set while cooling. Also be sure to measure the ingredients correctly. If you scoop flour with a measuring cup it will pack it, which will definitely make the cookies dryer than they should be. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then scrape off excess with a knife to get an exact measurement. The last tip would be to make sure to soften the butter on the counter, instead of microwaving. If it is melted or too soft the cookies may cook too fast in the oven which will cause them to dry out. I hope this helps for next time!

I’m so sorry to hear that! We have heard this before, and these were some of the solutions. Make sure to cook no longer than 9 minutes. 8 should be enough! They will look like they aren’t ready but they will set while cooling. Also be sure to measure the ingredients correctly. If you scoop flour with a measuring cup it will pack it, which will definitely make the cookies dryer than they should be. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then scrape off excess with a knife to get an exact measurement. We have found best results with regular creamy peanut butter. Think Jif, Skippy, or generic. Sometimes natural peanut butter can be too oily for this recipe. I hope this helps next time!

I can’t stop eating these cookies! They hit the spot in every way and are everything I could ever wish for in a pb cookie. I froze my dough in scoops and have been making these a few at a time to avoid demolishing the whole batch. Yum yum yum. Look no further for the best and only pb cookie recipe you’ll ever need.

[…] After a few brutal days – the first 3 I was fine. The cravings and afternoon tiredness gone. But then of course I had one of those days – where I just needed a pick me up. I really wanted chocolate chip cookies but didn’t want to wait for the dough to chill, so I went with a twist on our favorite peanut butter cookie. […]

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